Attachment on ships or submarines for cutting through wire-netting.



M. HELMBERGER. ATTACHMENT 0N SHIPS 0R SUBMARINES FOR CUTTING THROUGH W|RE NETTING. APPLICATION FILED MMLSO. T917.

1 24:7, 1 i 1 Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

5 nvemfoz MATT-HAS HELMBEBGEB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ATTACHMENT ON SHIPS OR SUBIVIAB/INES FOR. CUTTING THROUGH WIRE-NETTIN G.

Application filed March 30, 1917.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that MATI-IIAS HELMBERGER, subject of the German Emperor, and resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, has invented certain new and useful Attachments on Ships or Submarines for Cutting Through lVire-Uettings, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to attachments on ships, particularly submarines, whereby the latter will be safe from entanglement in nettings placed in the path 0 the ship.

With this object in view, my invention consists of means provided on the outside of the ship or submarine, whereby the wires of the netting will be cut through when the ship is thrust against the latter, permitting the ship to pass.

My invention also consists of the combination, arrangement and construction of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and set forth in the appended claims.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts, Figure 1 being a top plan view of a ship or submarine, to which the device is shown attached at'several points of its fore-part; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device proper; Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-8 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 4: is a similar section of the device shown in operation.

Referring specifically to the drawing, a denotes the body of the ship or submarine and b the device. The device consists of a frame composed of lateral bars 0 which are spaced apart and are rigidly connected to one another by short cross bars such as pins or screws cZ and sleeves e mounted thereon; the frame thus constructed is so dimensioned as to be capable of engaging the meshes of a wire netting which is stretched along the coast of an enemy country serving to prevent the passing of a submarine. The frame may have suitable means for its attachment to the body of the ship. In Fig. 1 where the frame is attached to the nose of the ship, the frame is shown as being provided with a forked portion a to engage around the sides of the nose and to be secured thereto by screws or rivets. cured to other parts of the ship, the means Specification of Letters Patent.

W here the device is se- Patented Nov. 20, E917,

Serial No. 1583519.

cutting mechanism is a shear-like affair sub-- stantially consisting of two cooperating blades which, on their engagement of'a wire of the netting, will be' caused to close and thereby sever the wire. To this end the construction is as follows:

Slidably guided by two or more of the cross pins (Z of the frame and arranged adj acent and parallel to'one of the side bars a is a member 7', having longitudinal slots or recesses f and 7. This sliding member f is connected to the frame by a coil spring 9 of which one end is secured at h to the slide and the other end it to the cross pin 01. The springhas the tendency to retain the slide in its forward position, shown in Fig.

3. Secured to the slide 7, about midway bet veen its ends, is a plate or block 2' which at one end is provided with an upwardly pro ecting portion a" serving as one of the blades of the cutting mechanism and formed on its forward side with a cutting edge 2' The other blade is is in form of a lever which is fulcrumed to the blade 2' at j and of which the upper part 70 serves as the blade proper and is formed with a cutting edge 70 opposite the edge 2' Lever 70 is extended to project downwardly and outwardly from the frame and its freeend is connected by a pivot 70 to a link Z, which is fulcrumed at Z to one of the side bars 0 as shown in Fig. 4. This second blade k is adapted normally, i. e. in inoperative posi tion to extend with its upper part or blade 70 within the frame or below the upper edges of the bars 0, 0, as shown in Fig. 3, but in operative position, to project upwardly orv outwardly from the frame as shown in Fig. 4. The blade 2" on the other hand is adapted to constantly project from beyond the upper edges of the bars 0, so as to engage a wire of the netting when the frame penetrates or passes through the meshes of the latter. As the ship is thrust against the netting, and the frame passes through one of the meshes of the wire netting, the projecting blade 2" will engage with its cutting edge 71 a wire and by the counterpressure of the latter, push the member 2 and together with the latter the slide 7", rearwardly, against the tension of the spring 9 and thereby and through the medium of the link Z, cause the second blade is to swing around its fulcrum y so that the cutting edge Z4 will, in cooperation with the cutting edge i engage the wire and sever it.

In practice, it will be necessary to either attach several such cutting devices at different points of the ships body in order that as the ship continues its motion through the netting, the wires may be cut, enlarging the opening for the passage of the ship.

The mechanism may of course, be Variously modified in its construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of my invention and I therefore do not wish to confine myself to the details described and shown.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. In a ship or submarine, a wire cutting mechanism supported thereon and comprising a blade capable of yielding longitudinally of the ships body and projecting away from the latter, and a second blade fulcrumed on the first blade and movably connected at one end to the ships body so that when the said first blade during the propulsion of the ship under the counterpressure of a wire of a netting it encounters, yields rearwardly it will cause the second blade to close and in conjunction with the same will perform the cutting operation.

2. In a ship or submarine, a wire cutting mechanism supported thereon and comprising a member capable of sliding longitudinally of the ships body, a blade fixed to said member and adapted to project away from the ships body, a second .blade fulcrumed on said first blade and a link connecting said second blade to said ships body, so that during the propulsion of the ship the first blade under the counter-pressure of a wire of a netting which it encounters, will be moved rearwardly and cause the sec ond blade to close and in conjunction with it will perform the cutting operation.

3. In a ship or submarine, a wire cutting mechanism supported thereon, comprising a frame, a sliding member mounted thereon and carrying a blade projecting away from the ships body, a lever fulcrumed on said blade and formed at one of its ends with a part serving as a second blade and mov ably connected at its opposite end to the ships body so that when the first blade is forced rearwardly it will cause the second blade to close and will perform with the latter the cutting operation.

a. In a ship or submarine, a wire cutting mechanism supported thereon and comprising a frame fined to the ships body, a member supported in said frame to be capable of moving longitudinally of the ships body and formed with a blade adapted to project away from the latter, a second blade fulcrumed on said first blade and a link connecting said second blade to the ships body so that when the first blade is moved the second blade will be caused to close and to perform with the said first blade the cutting operation.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 29th day of March A. D. 1917.

MATHIAS HELMBERGER.

Witnesses:

MAX D. ORDMANN, A. M. VVATTENBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

